Jamming a reticle-based infrared homing missile for large aircraft is a problem that has been addressed in the past. A handoff from a missile warning sensor generates reported coordinates for an incoming missile and cues an infrared countermeasure (IRCM) system to slew a type of gimbal to the reported coordinates. An onboard mid-wave infrared (MWIR) camera, sometimes referred to as a tracking camera, searches the region for the incoming missile and directs a narrow laser beam, often just a few milliradians (mrad), to deceive the missile's tracking electronics. The weight, power requirements, and cost of present IRCM systems (including common infrared countermeasure (CIRCM) systems) results in a difficulty in adapting such systems for use in smaller aircraft.
For example, contemporary directed energy infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) systems use a narrow (e.g., much less than one degree) laser beam directed with high accuracy at an incoming missile threat. DIRCM systems thus achieve high radiant-intensity jamming and are able to protect aircraft having large heat signatures. As explained above, these systems are both too heavy and consume too much power to be used for protecting small aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).